Born In Slovenia, Made In Portugal – History Of The Globe Cruiser Surf Van

Globe cruiser surf van and me started our path in 2007, when we bought this van with my father. His co-worker, the previous owner already did some work on it to make it a camper, but the job was poorly done and the van was able to stay in camping sites only. Anyway the outside of the van and the engine were in solid condition. We took some small trips in the camp sites, nothing like nomad style traveling with this version 1.0 version of the van. And it took a year of being an exchange student in Latvia to increase my lust for traveling to strat turning this 1990 Mercedes Benz MB100 in to the surf van that it is today.

Globe Cruiser 2.0 / 2009

Building the Globe cruiser

While being an Erasmus student in Latvia for the study year 2007/08, we travelled to 11 different countries with our Erasmus friends… and coming home after that… I just couldn’t see my self settling in to just one place. So my plan for the future was to start my company to get the money and build my own camper to travel the Europe.

Globe Cruiser 2.0 Ready To Road

Globe Cruiser On The Road

The planning for the van happened during that winter and than i build it during the summer and was finished on September 4th 2009 and on the same day we left for it’s first road trip exploring Czech Republic and Poland for a month. In the year 2010 we were Globe Cruising around Hungary and Slovakia, really amazing places to explore . . .

Globe Cruiser 2.0 near Viena

The Begining Of Surfing – Globe Cruiser 2.5 /2011

Begining Of Surfing Morocco 2011

After spending the new year in Budapest we headed down to Surf School Tribu Morocco with my sister and a few friends to our first ever surf trip. And…. when I was surfing I felt that the destiny of my life is starting to unfoald. The same day when I came back from this trip I already bought the plane ticket for my next 2-week long surftrip in Surf House Tribu in Peniche Portugal. Here I’ve met Tin Kos, who was living in his car here in Peniche on his 6 month long surf trip.

Tinkos Toyota nad Globe cruiser end of 2011

And at that moment this feeling overflowed my body, that the Globe Cruiser Van I have been building at home, has found its true meaning . . . his true home, here in Portugal. I spent another summer updating the Globe Cruiser Van 2.0 in to the Globe Cruiser 2.5 Surf Van. The van gained a lot more space, an gas / AC / 230 DC powered fridge, a roof rack and an engine refreshment before departing on an epic, for now one-way trip to Peniche Portugal where it provided me with 7 epic months of surf tripling Peniche. A Van I proudly call home in Portugal.

In the 3 year time, the oceanic climate of Peniche was merciless to the 23-year old metal shell of the Van and the it needed to be repaired. On my last surf trip in autumn 2013, we decided to make a Euro-van trip home with my girlfriend, to get the van fixed in Slovenia, but on the 25th kilometre of our 2700km long journey the alternator broke completely. So we had no possibilities to get to Slovenia with that van at that time. As if the van didn’t want to leave Pencihe;) We were a little disappointed as it didn’t go the way we planed, but who said that it was the best way . . . when we realized we’ll have to return to Peniche I’ve checked the wave forecast for the following days, and all I can say is, that this was the first sign that the Globe Cruiser way, was a much better way indeed. We’ve had the best waves of the surf trip until the very end…. the most epic surf sessions ever;)

Globe Cruiser Epic Surf sessions

And than I had to make a deal to repair the critical damage to the Van, here in Portugal. The owner of the surf repair shop Joao recommend me the guys from Atlantic garage, who than changed the brakes and did the emergency repair that year.

Atlantic Garage Van Repair, Peniche, Portugal

They were willing to do it during the winter time. We agreed on a price for the emergency repairs to the metal and the engine… but when I arrived here a week ago to pick up the Van… there was a New van, waiting for me in front of the Atlantic Garage Car repair in Peniche, Portugal.

Globe cruiser 3.0 2014 Made In Portugal

It really looks like it just came from the factory. Tully amazing team in Atlantic Garage, and the owner, Miguel, a truly amazing guy. This was definitely a great advantage of the broken alternator in 2013;) They surprised me so much, with the all new van, that I decided to surprise them and wear their sticker on my van proudly as a signature of their amazing work. I showed them on a picnic they prepared for us, and they were really happy to see their logo on their truly amazing work. Really a splendid afternoon in the Atlantic Garage yesterday… a day to remember.

Born In Slovenia, Made In Portugal – Atlantic Garage

New wooden floor in Globe Cruiser 3.0

And another thing, which turned out great is, that TinKos was also planing his another journey with his Toyota surf car, so I was able to bring my self and the spear parts which I had at home to be installed in the Cruiser. It’s kind of a great “coincidence” that the guy with the car that inspired the initial movement, played an important role in yet another crucial step on the way to Globe cruiser 3.0 that it is today.

A new van.

And it kind of shows on every step of the way, that it’s destiny that we created to be able to enjoy this very moment on a cliff of Portugal with the sound of waves in the back and an evening surf session to follow . . . a perfect moment in destiny.